Hand covering for use in association with handlebars



Sept. 1, 1953 1 N @R01-HE Er AL 2,650,361

HAND COVERING FOR USE IN ASSOCIATION WITH HANDLEBARS Filed May l, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. l. Fig. 2.

. I I I I I I I I I I I I III INVENTORS IsobellLGrmhe BY Elizabeth J. Smlth WMM ATTORN EY Sept. l, 1953 HAND COVERING FOR USE IN ASSOCIATION WITH HANDLEBARS Filed May l, 1951 l. N. GROTHE` ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNIENTORS Isabel N. Grothe Elizabeth J. Smitih M MM. W

ATTORNEY coverings.

Patented Sept. 1, 1953 v"HAND COVER'NG FOR USE IN ASSOCITIUN WITH HAN DLEBARS Isabel N. Grothefand Elizabeth J. Smith, Westport, Conn.

Application May 1, 1951, ISeriaPlNTo."Z'Ltigffi 1 Claim.

'This invention relates to' hand coverings or ymitts `usable in association with the vhandle or handlebar of hand-propelled vehicles such as Aperambulators, baby carriages, strollers and the llike.

When pushing such a vehicle in cold weather Iones hands get cold lespecially if Athe hands are `jle'ft uncovered or snug-fitting gloves are being worn, and inorder -to insure warmth or" `the hands it is "necessary to wear cumbersome outer `hand However, Ait frequently occurs that such outer coverings must be removed in order to free Vthe hands for `other uses. When this happens there are two separate steps involved; re-

moval of `the `outer-coverings from the hands, and

the laying aside or storage of the removed coverings in order to leave the hands unencurnbere'd.

USo it `is fone 'object of this .invention to devise a type of warmth-insuring hand `covering that is lrnitt-like in formation and which can be removably secured to the `handlebar Iof the vehicle 'in such 1a `manner 'that 'the 'hands are readily insertable `or removable from the mitts while still :leaving the mitts secured to the handlebar, thus :eliminating the necessity of either searching for for separately laying aside the mitts when it is desired to don or doff them. Itis another object of this invention to provide `such a hand cover- Aing that is `suitable `for luse in association with ordinary gloves or with bare hands. That 'is to say, the -user of such handcoverings may if desired Ywear a lighter `glove underneath such -hand covering.

lIt is still another object `of this invention to Adevisean acceptable fastening arrangement for 'such mitts whereby they can be readily secured Ito or removed from 'the handlebar of such `a vehicle even though such handlebar Vis of the type that is closed at both ends so that objects must be secured around it rather than slipped over its end. Still another object is to devise such mitts that can be displaced 4with Arespect to each other Whilein place on the handlebar.

These and possibly other objects are attained by a Amitt having a closed end as well as an open end and atop andbottom portion with a side portion joining the top and bottom portions, wherein in the a.side portion are two aligned apertures adapted to encircle the handlebar of the baby carriage, and separable fastening means for opening and closing access to the apertures of the handlebar. That is to say, the fastening means are operable to permit Vparts of the mitts to :open for 4allowing 'the vaperture to `be `'threaded around and onto the handlebar, whereupon they 2 are closed to retain the jmitts in such threaded lposition on the bar, meanwhile the mitts remain open at their 'free Vend to permit 'free and :rapid ingress and egress yof the hands with .respect tto :the mitts.

The -mitt is preferably equipped with -a .smaller l'in-ner .lining `having dits ends attached cto the peripheries of `the valigned `apertures and. connecting 'the apertures Vone with the other. 'This lin- :ing is adapted lto snugly `encircle fthe handlebar `and provide an insulation between the wearers `hand andthe cold handlebar. In this zarrange- :ment it will be ,preferable 5to provide the rinner `lining `with its 4own separable `fastening means rto secure "it yin place on the handleb'arfindependently yof the fastening means used 'to secure the :mitt proper to fthe ihandlebar.

Fastening means employed in this invention imay be fof any conventional type fsuch Vas 'slide fasteners, snaps and the like. Similarly, the location -Jof the Ifastening means .for 'securing `the 4mitt 4itself to the .handlebar may take several forms. That is to say, `the fasteners may :run from v"theapertures along Athe sides `of the mitt to the-open end, 4or directly from one aperture-across the top orvbottom of fthe mitt to theotherraper- Yure or even around the closed end-of the mitt. The important point being that the :fastening means l'operate lto 'open :and lclose access to the "apertures and inner llining bythe handlebar.

As this invention smay be embodied in fseveral forms without departing `from the spirit oressen- Atial `characteristics theerof, `the present embodiment :is therefore illustrative `and not restrictive, since the iscope of the invention is defined 4:by 'the appended claim rather than yby the description 'preceding it, and all-,changes that fall `within the metes and fboundszof the claim, or equivalents of such metes and bounds, are therefore `intended to be embraced bythe claim.

Figure I1 is a plan vview of the mitt of this invention.

vFigure 2 is `a side elevation `of 'the mitt showin in Figure 1 taken along lines 2-.2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is `an .isometric View of the mitt in association with the carriageJhandJebar, Vthe'xnitt `being in the 4open position `for .removal `from ior application .to .the handlebar.

Figure 4 is fa view similar to that of :Figure 3 except that'the `Inittzis closed upon the handleban Figure `5 is similar .to Figure '4 showing amodcation :of .the location of the `'separal'llefastening means.

.Figure .6 `is 1a perspective `view .showing :two mitts iin A:association 'with ;the baby carriage their way up the wearers sleeve.

3 handlebar and in use by a person pushing the carriage.

Figure '7 is a cross section view taken along lines 'I-'I of Figure 5 showing a modification wherein a lining is provided between the wearers hands and the handlebar.

Figure 8 shows a mitt at the open position said `mitt being provided with an inner lining for encircling the handlebar.

Figure 9 shows the mitt of Figure 8 in position on the handlebar.

Figure 10 shows the mitt of-Figure 8 in place on the handlebar with the hand encircling it.

Figure 11 shows details of theconstruction of the inner lining of mitts similar to those shown in Figures and 8 through 10.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a mitt I0, which has an open end II for inserting hands as well as a closed end 22. The length along 2 2 of Figure l is such that when the hand is inserted into the mitt through open end II the mitt extends well up on the wrist of the wearer thus allowing the coat sleeves to be inserted into this end and preventing stray breezes from finding Figure 2 is a side view of the mitt shown in Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing only one side of the mitt, the side not shown in Figure 2 being identical to the side shown. The mitt can be made of any material suitable for insuring warmth or protection of the hands, such material may be conventional wool yarns or it may be fabric of another nature including plastic yarns and the like. The mitt I!! is made up of a top portion I2 and a bottom portion I3 which are secured together by side portion I5. Side portion I5 -extends from the open end II around closed end 22 of the mitt returning to end II on the opposite side. End I I is left open at all times to permit ingress and egress of the hands. Side portion I5 is provided with aligned apertures, such as the one shown at I4, of suitable size to permit threading such aperture around and onto a handlebar. Extending along side I5 from point Il on end II to point 25 on the edge of aperture I4 is a slide fastener `I5 for separating side I5 into two portions between points I'I and 25 so as to permit accessto apertures I4. In Figure 2, the fastener I6 is in a closed position so that the side I5 is maintained as a single piece along its entire length except for the aperture I4.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of a mitt I0 having an open end I I and a closed end 22 similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 but in association with a baby carriage handlebar I8. Slide fastener I6 is opened along its entire length between points I1 and 25 so that side I5 is separated into two portions between points I'I and 25 in order to provide access to apertures I4 for threading the mitt around handlebar-I8. The slide fastener I5 has its open end at point I1 to permit ease of securing together for fastening. Figure 4 shows the mitt IG of Figure 3 in association with a handlebar I5 and is identical to Figure 3 ex-cept that thev slide fastenerl I6 is closed along its entire length between points I'I and 25. Side I5 is now maintained as a continuous section except for aperture I4 which is encircled around handlebar I3 thus securing themitt to the bar. When the mitt is thus secured it is ready for use.. Hands can be readily inserted or removed from the mitt at itslarge open end I I. If desired the mitt can be moved along the bar I8 while it is in its secured positionthus permitting movement of one mitt with respect to another mitt on the same handlebar even though both are secured thereto.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of a mitt I0 of the type embodied by this invention. It is similar to the View of Figure 4 except that the separable fastening means I6 -extend around the closed end 22 of the mitt from point I'I on the peripheryof aperture I4 to a similar point 25 on vthe aligned aperture opposite aperture I4. This location of fastening means has the advantage of requiring only a single slide fastener to separate side I5 and provide access to apertures I4 for threading them around handlebar I8.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the mitts in use on the handlebars of the baby carriage with the hands in position inside the mitts so that open ends II are toward the wearer while closed ends 22 are away from the wearer. The mitts are of sumcient size so that they will extend upwardly over the wearers wrists and cuffs thereby preventing the passage of chill breezes up the sleeves. The mitts I0 have their sides secured together and are in position on handlebar I8 with handlebar I8 extending through the mitts at apertures I4, thus the mitts shown in Figure 6 are similar to that one shown in Figure 4 except that in Figure 6 there are two mitts secured to the handlebarA and the wearers hands are inserted therein. In the event the wearer` desires to remove her hands from the mitts she has only to withdraw them which may be freely done and leave the mitts secured tothe handlebar Where they will be available for future use. The hands are inserted and removed through open end II of the mitt. When in position such as shown in Figure 6 the mitts may be independently moved along handlebar I8 separately from each other even though both are secured to the handlebar. That is to say, even though the mitts are secured to the handlebar they may be readily moved along the axis of such handlebar thus allowing free removal of the hands as well as permitting the movement of the mitts to a more remote place on the handlebar when not in use.

Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the lines 'I-'I of Figure 5 and shows a modification whereby a lining 30 extending around handlebar I5 for portecting the hands from the cold handlebar is provided. In Figure 7 is shown `the upper portion I2 of the mitt, side portion I5, bottom portion I3, aperture I4, closed slide fastener I6, closed end 22, and end 25 of slide fastener I6. The lining 35i5 secured to side portion I5 in such a manner that the lining is continuously fastened to the side portion I5 from point 3I on closed end 22 around aperture I4 thence to point 32 on closed end 22 so that when the handlebar I8 is in place in aperture I4 the lining 35 passes around handlebar I8 and aperture I4. If slide fastener I6 is opened Vso as to separate side portion I5 into two sections, then the lining 35 will also be opened so as to provide access to aperture I4. A similar lining provision may 'be made in the mitts shown in Figures 1 through 4. q

A further modification of the construction of the mitt is to provide a lining adapted to encircle the handlebar and provide a layer Vof material around the handlebar and between the handlebar and the-hands of the wearer. This lining may or maynot have its own fastening means, however, inthe ordinary case, the hands of the wearer will keep it in proper position. An embodiment of this particular feature Yis shown generally in Figure 7 and in detail in Figures 8 through 11.

In Figure 8, the miti', I0, shown in the open p0- sition, comprises top portion I2, bottom I3, and side members I 5 provided with separable fasteners I6. Aligned apertures are provided at I4 to permit passage of a handlebar when the mitt is closed. A small inner lining 20 is provided and is secured to the periphery of apertures I4 so that when the mitt is closed a layer of material surrounds the cold handlebar. separable fasteners 35 are provided to secure the inner lining around the handlebar.

Figure 9 shows the mitt I9 in position on a handlebar I8 and shows the relative position of handlebar I8 and lining` 20.

Figure l0 is a View taken along lines Ill-IB of Figure 9 and depicts the relative position of the hand with respect to lining 2G and handlebar I8.` As shown in the drawings, the hand is entirely protected because the mitt itself protects from breezes and direct contact with outside air while lining 20 insulates the hand from the cold handlebar and thus prevents the loss of heat by conduction.

Figure 11 shows in greater detail the position of inner lining 2i] with respect to handlebar I8, sides I5, and apertures I4. Lining 2l) is equipped with its own separable fastening 35 to secure it snugly around handlebar I8.

According to this invention the size of the mitts will Vary according to the material used, the size of the proposed wearers hands and the size of the handlebar with which it is contemplated the mitts will be associated.

fand has top and bottom portions secured together by side portions, two aligned apertures in the side portions adapted to encircle `a handlebar, separable fastening means to open and close access to the apertures by the handlebar, an inner lining adapted to encircle the handlebar and `having its ends secured to the peripheries of the apertures thus connecting the apertures one with the other, and separable fastening means along 'the connecting length of said lining to open and close access to the handlebar, whereby when the mitt is positioned on the handlebar there is provided a layer of material between one handlebar and the wearers hand While the mitt itself surrounds the hand.

ISABEL N. GROTHE. ELIZABETH J. SMITH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Farkas Aug. 3, 1937 Number 

